Eight o’clock.
It’s going to be very hot outside today by local standards. This afternoon I will hang out by the air conditioner. On my way to the store I stopped and talked with Harry for a few minutes. He’s 94 years old and still driving his pickup truck to Burger King to meet his friends for a little palaver. His daughter lives around the corner and visits him once a week. Also his son from Salem drives down every month or so to see him. It makes you wonder what is the secret to a long lifespan, unless it’s just heredity, and maybe playing it safe. Discretion is the better part of valor… At the market, Thomas was rather subdued and low key, probably anticipating a hot day. He didn’t talk much, maybe to conserve his energy. The azure sky is beautiful to look at, but today it means a summer scorcher. If there’s a time and a place for everything, then today is good for hunkering down with the air conditioning if you have it. I will kill some time reading my Eiseley book, which I’m beginning to understand better. A naturalist thinks differently from a philosopher or a critic. Generally he describes things rather than analyzing them in order not to do them harm. My brother explained to me that John Muir did the same kind of thing. Nowadays I often speculate what he’s up to. The best way to know is to pick up the phone…
robgradens 